Improvement in valve devices for steam-engines



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

J. L. DI'OKINSON, OF DUBUQUE, IOWA.

IMPROVEMENT IN VALVE DEVICES FOR STEAM-ENGINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 59,565, dated November 13, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J. L. DroKINsoN, of Dubuque, in the county of Dubuque and State of Iowa, have invented a new and Improved Gombined Governor-Valve and Variable Gut-Off; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

This invention relates to the steam-engine; and consists in certain improvements in govorner-valves and in the variable cut-off, whereby I overcome many of the obstacles which have been met with heretofore. I accomplish this by applying an adjustable follower, which is made to operate on the valve, keeping it steam-tight and firm in its place. Also, I provide an adjustable thilnble box or bearing to guide the valve-rod 5 and in an arm attached to the valve rod or stem, having a slide upon it with wrist-pins attached, by which the action of the valve is controlled and varied as may be desired.

To enable others skilled-in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation, reference bein g had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, in which- FigureV l represents a vertical sectional ele vation of the valve and its attachments when in use, the red portion being a section of Fig. 2 through the line x fr. Fig. 2 is a tranverse section through the line y y of Fig. I. Fig. 3 is a section of Fig.` l through the line s s, and Fig. 4i is a section through the line z z of Fig. 1.

Similar letters indicate like parts in the drawings.

A represents the valve-chamber, and Al the shell forming the valve chamber and seat and steam-apertures. B is the valve. C is the valve rod or stem. D is the valve-chamber head. E is the follower 5 F, the adjustable thimble-box; J, the arm on the valve-rod. L is the wrist to which the eccentric-rod is attached. M is the wrist to which the connect ing-rod from the governor is attached; and K is the slide upon the arm J, to which'the wrists L and M are attached.

The valve B is attached to its rod in the usual manner, and when in operation it bears slightly upon the point of the screw I to prevent its binding in its seat.

The follower E has a screw-thread upon its outside, which iits a corresponding screw upon the inside of the valve-chamber head D. At its lower end it bears upon the top of the valve B, and is adjusted to bear with any desired pressure by the jam-nut N, near its upper end.

The valve-rod C passes through the center of this follower loosely, and is guided and supported in its proper position by the thimbleboX F. This box or bearing F is made of any suitable material, and may be an entire ring or it may be divided. It is adjusted by setscrews p to any desired position, its duty being to guide the valve-rod and keep it in a position that will allow the valve to have an easy oscillating motion without any side wear. Its position is in a recess formed in the top of the follower E, the recess being larger in diameter than the box to allow of its adjustment.

At the end of the valve-rod the arm J is attached, being fastened by the set-screw O.

The slide K, which is made to move freely upon the arm J, has a wrist-pin, L, attached to it near one of its ends, which is connected with the eccentric of the engine, and which gives the arm, and consequently the valve, an oscillating-motion. Another wrist-pin, m, is attached tothis slide, to which the rod from the governor is connected.

The operation will be readily understood by those acquainted with the steam-engine.

The throw of the valve B is governed by the movement of the arm J, and that movement is greater or less as the wrist L approaches to or recedes from the valve-rod C.

rEhe wrist M, being connected with the governor, moves the slide K back and forth 011 the arm J as the speed of the engine is fast or slow, lengthening or shortening the distance of the wrist L from the valve-rod, and increasing or diminishing the throw of the valve, thus letting on or shutting off the steam.

The shell A, forming the valve-chamber, and through which the steam passes from the boiler to the engine, is made in the usual form, and needs no particular description.

The slide K may be made in any convenient form that Will allow of the firm attachment of The follower E, the thimble-box F, and the the wrists L and M and a free motion on the sliding arm K, constructed and arranged subarm J. stantially as herein set forth, in combination I do not broadly claim the invention of 2,- With governor-valve of a, steam-engine. governor-valve and variable out-.off combined, als I mn aware that it has been done before; but

What l do claim as new, anclvdesire to seeure by Letters Patent, is-

J. L. DIGKINSON.

Witnesses W. H. AUSTIN, J. H. HOWARD. 

